Rise Up: Building a Company with Soul and Purpose

Remember what you learned in business school about the importance of making money above all else? Well forget it. There’s a new trend on the corporate horizon—one that emphasizes doing good and making money. And it’s taking the business world by storm. Oliver Russell’s founder, Russ Stoddard, has taken it upon himself to chronicle this trend and act as your guide in the new book Rise Up—How to Build a Socially Conscious Business. 

Shifting Toward a New Frontier

As it turns out, today’s consumers want to spend their dollars where they make a difference. Products, services and business models that create social impact are quickly surpassing those that don’t. This is the big secret in Rise Up: The long-term success of business rests on serving people and doing good, not just making money.

A new variety of socially conscious companies are changing where people shop—and where they want to work. The entire business model as we know it is rapidly shifting in the name of public benefit. 

Written with Purpose

Rise Up was written for social entrepreneurs. Employees. People who buy products. And pretty much anyone who has anything to do with capitalism. The book is part instruction and part inspiration. Russ shares his experience with social enterprise along with stories of other entrepreneurs who have ventured into social waters. He offers step-by-step instruction about how to create a socially conscious business, from defining the purpose to uncovering the “why”.

Loyal Customers and Employees

In his book, Russ delves into the psychology behind consumers’ desire to build relationships with purpose-driven brands. Millennials play a big role in this paradigm shift—they want meaning in their lives and they want their favorite brands to help them discover it. Studies show that 70 percent of millennials keep coming back to brands they love. Companies are finding that loyalty, well, pays.

Perhaps one of Rise Up’s most important lessons is that employees are a company’s most important asset. Bosses shouldn’t consider them “employees” but rather co-workers and fellow human beings who want greater fulfillment through enhanced purpose in life. Treating them this way will keep them around longer and significantly strengthen the business. 

You Can Trust Russ—No, Really

What makes Russ an expert on the topic of social enterprise? He’s been working at the intersection of business and social responsibility for the past 25 years. He founded our agency, which is a public benefit corporation that builds brands for purpose-driven companies. For decades, we’ve been actively seeking out businesses whose products, services and business models benefit society.

Russ is also a recognized leader in the Certified B Corporation community, a new classification of companies that use the power of business to solve social and environmental issues. He co-founded the Social Good Network, has started five nonprofits, and serves as an advisor to many social enterprise startups.

Here’s what Kate Williams, CEO of 1% For the Planet had to say about Rise Up: “Bringing to bear both his considerable personal experience as well as key research and data, Stoddard manages to cover the case for, the fundamentals of, and success stories about the burgeoning field
 of social enterprises. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur,
 an employee, or a consumer (yup—basically anyone), this book is for you!”

Read All About It

Get the early edition of Rise Up today at www.russstoddard.com. The book will be released nationally in September 2017.